UFC 196 could serve as a preview for Conor
McGregor’s rumored foray into the welterweight division, but
according to Nate Diaz, it
didn’t necessarily have to be that way.

McGregor and Diaz will square off at 170 pounds on March 5 at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The short-notice matchup came
about when Rafael dos
Anjos pulled out of a lightweight title defense against
“Notorious” earlier this week due to a broken foot.

Diaz has struggled making lightweight limit in the past — most
notably missing weight before a 2014 bout against dos Anjos — and
McGregor said that the Californian repeatedly asked the UFC to
raise the limit for their bout.

“Nate tried to exit the fight...there was many discussions,”
McGregor said during a press conference on Wednesday. “The first
discussion was a money issue. They resolved the money issue. Then
he could only make 160, so we gave him 160. Then he came back, he
could only make 165, so then I told him to get comfortable, you can
step on the scales at 170. That’s it. I’m looking forward to it.
I’m happy to give the fans what they asked for.”

Not so fast, says Diaz, who is coming off an impressive lightweight
victory over Michael
Johnson at UFC on Fox 17 this past December. Whatever happened
in pre-fight negotiations was unknown to him.

“It doesn’t matter. I came to fight. They asked me to fight I said
yes, from the beginning. So whatever problems they had, I don’t
know, but I came ready to fight,” Diaz said. “Any weight class it
doesn’t matter. There was no hesitation on my part. I was ready to
rock the whole time. I said it months ago.

“I said 155 from the beginning.”

When Jose
Aldo pulled out of his featherweight title defense against
McGregor at UFC 189 last July, Chad Mendes
took his place and fell to the SBG Ireland representative in an
interim championship bout.

Diaz confirmed rumors that he was also in the discussion to take
Aldo’s place on that card.

“They’ve been calling me on and off for this guy since they were
supposed to fight Aldo the first time,” Diaz said. “They knew they
were fighting me this whole camp I’m sure. They put out a video
talking s—t on me at the MMA Awards like two weeks ago.”

Regardless of who is telling the truth in the weight-class dispute,
McGregor said he is ultimately unconcerned with what the scale
reads come fight night.

“I am the rule. I am the only rule in this game. It doesn’t matter
weight divisions,” he said. “Nate said he was ready to fight at
anytime. He wasn’t ready to fight at 155, he wasn’t ready to fight
at 160, 165, so we give him 170.”

Diaz expressed a similar sentiment. If it means a so-called “money”
fight, the Cesar
Gracie protege will be there.